Large Scale Central

Opinions on LGB Battery Sets (1980 or 2013)

General Discussion
#1

Hello all,

For those of you who have owned an LGB battery powered set, whether it be from the 1980s or 2013, What are your thoughts about it?

I realize these sets were intended as toys and in no way designed to be legitimate model trains.

#2

Joe Loll said:

Hello all,

For those of you who have owned an LGB battery set, whether it be from the 1980s or 2013, What are your thoughts about it?

I realize these sets were intended as toys and in no way designed to be legitimate model trains.

Are you asking a battery set

Or a set with batteries See the source image

#3

I meant to say “LGB Battery Powered Set”

The first post has been edited to reflect this.

#4

ore car

controller

Got one from 2017 it was a Christmas set that was discounted at Marshalls for less than $90.00 ran it at Christmas time with about 25’ of track and a couple of switches for the grand kids. Seem to run good the controller were a little tricky but worked ok, sound was great and pulled 7 of the small 2 axle cars with no problems, you know the kids now days are not interested in any thing except phones and I pads so I sold the track some of the cars and still have the engine to sell, might keep it to pull a track cleaning car but haven’t tried it yet, Bill

passenger carengine

#5

Joe,

I concur with Bill. We had much the same experience with a 2015-ish set. We did use it weekly on our little garden RR until the controller and sound card pooped out. The little thing is shelf bound until I rip the sound card and IR receiver out and replace it with a DPDT switch I. At $90 or leaa, it is a steal for a few laps around the Christmas tree each year. If a set showed up locally at that price I’d probably swing on it for the parts, but I wouldn’t order a new one at full retail. Were I to order something new, I’d get the battery powered PIKO Clean Machine (We also have this unit.). It is a heavier unit, looks better, and runs better.

For what it is worth, I am trying to breathe life into a 1970-s version of this loco. It shares no common parts in its power train with thee “real” track powered version of this locomotive, which has utterly stymied this effort.

Eric